LeBron James is taking his talents to the City of Brotherly Love — and at a price that would make a rookie blush.
The 41-year-old NBA all-time scoring leader announced Friday on social media that he will sign a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his eight-season run with the Los Angeles Lakers. James made nearly $53 million last season. He called the move his “last decision” and said he had strongly considered retirement before concluding he still had more to give.
“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James wrote on X. “I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”
James chose Philadelphia over finalists Cleveland and Miami, the two other franchises where he won championships. The decision, first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, came after more than two months of speculation that began when the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs in May. Los Angeles made no effort to re-sign him.
What sold James on the Sixers was a roster that got dramatically better this offseason. Philadelphia acquired Jaylen Brown — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP and a five-time All-Star — from the Boston Celtics in a stunning deal, adding him to a core that already included Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and second-year guard VJ Edgecombe. On paper, it is one of the most formidable starting fives in the league.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James wrote.
He celebrated the announcement with an Instagram highlight reel set to Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares,” the adopted anthem of Philadelphia sports teams. The video ended with the lyric “hold up, wait a minute. Y’all thought I was finished?” cutting to a 76ers logo. Fanatics had his No. 23 jersey on sale for $125 within hours. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro proclaimed Friday LeBron James Day in the state.
The Sixers went 45-37 last season, earned the No. 7 seed through the Play-In Tournament, upset Boston in the first round, then were swept in the second round by the eventual champion New York Knicks. The franchise has not won an NBA title since 1983 and has not advanced past the second round since 2001. Most betting sites listed Philadelphia at 9-1 to win the 2026-27 championship as of Friday afternoon, behind Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and the Knicks.
James is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists — numbers most players would cash a max contract for. He eventually embraced a reduced role in Los Angeles behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, and his willingness to take a third-option spot in Philadelphia suggests the same mindset. The $8 million deal is closer to what his son Bronny is making on the Lakers than the $104 million extension James signed with Los Angeles in 2024.
The fit is not without risk. Embiid has played in only 39, 19, and 38 games over the past three seasons. Brown’s chemistry with James is a complete unknown — Brown once publicly criticized Bronny, though James has said their relationship has been “pretty respectful” since. The Sixers ranked 17th in defensive rating last season and lost Paul George, their best perimeter defender, in the offseason. They are hard-capped at the first apron, limiting roster upgrades.
But the offensive ceiling is enormous. Brown, James, Maxey, and Edgecombe are all elite transition scorers, and James remains one of the game’s premier playmakers in tight moments — as he showed leading the Lakers to a first-round win without Dončić last spring. New team president Mike Gansey, an Ohio prep teammate of James, engineered the Brown trade and now has the biggest free-agent acquisition in franchise history to go with it.
When the 2026-27 season tips off, James will enter his record-breaking 24th year — the only player in NBA history to span that many seasons. He is a four-time champion, four-time MVP, 22-time All-Star, and 21-time All-NBA selection. He has won titles with three different franchises. A fourth would tie him for the most in league history and end a 43-year drought in Philadelphia.
“I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family,” James wrote. “What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.”
For the next two seasons, his home is Philadelphia. The King has one more move left.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports / The Hollywood Reporter — LeBron James Signs With Philadelphia 76ers
- Yahoo Sports / AP — LeBron James is heading to Philadelphia 76ers, saying it will be his ‘last decision’
- The Guardian — LeBron James going to the Philadelphia 76ers is perfectly in character
- Yahoo Sports / The Sporting News — Can 76ers win title with LeBron James?
- Cleveland 19 News — ‘I’m not going for money:’ 76ers land LeBron James